Home / Blogs / Polycotyledon / Miscellaneous /

Holding Pattern

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 6:28 am

---

I appear to be stuck. Mainly due to the heat. It has been far too hot to even think, let alone knit or garden recently. I've gotten by maintaining a watering schedule for my houseplants (which all need repotting) and Aerogarden. Sadly, this has meant that just about everything else has gone by the wayside, including knitting.


Not for much longer though. I'm determined to power through on this project so I can get to making my gloves and hat/scarf set for myself. I've put myself off for years and now is the time for me to get something nice.



Mini Sweater 08-28-2018 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )



In the realm of plants, say farewell to the Basils and the Spearmint. I am sending them off to pine for the Fjords. You see, they've been taking advantage of the near 100F weather we've been having recently by growing abundantly. Under normal circumstances, I'd be happy about this. Not right now though. I am Basil'd out. In their place will be some yellow tomatoes. This will mark the first time that I will grow both yellow and determinate tomatoes.




Three Basils and Spearmint 08-30-2018 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )


Thank you for reading. Have a pleasant day. :)


This blog entry has been viewed 267 times

---

Yaaaaaaaay!

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 4:16 pm

---

I finished my Flax sweater!


This sweater took me from 26 August 2017 to 1 July 2018 to knit. I have such a sense of accomplishment right now.


However, now I have the burning desire to knit this sweater. Even though it is completed. I will just have to get a crocheted project to shake off the urge to knit upon waking.


My plants are all doing well. I actually have to trim the basils back...again.


Take care and have a fantastic day!



Mir Ist Kalt - 1 July 2018 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )





This blog entry has been viewed 294 times

---

Abundant Herbal Chaos and Frantic Knitting

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 8:50 am

---

Ah, yes. There was an overabundance of Basil and Spearmint here. I inadvertently allowed the Aerogarden plants a little too much time between trimmings and this is the result. It could be far worse but, if I am to harvest this garden long-term, I must keep them properly trimmed.


Now that they are trimmed, I am watching them like a Harpy Eagle and waiting for the next moment to strike with my cutting tools.



Basils and Spearmint - 5 June 2018 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )


With my free time, I've been knitting this sweater. I am now, roughly, half finished with the first sleeve. I am hoping to get this first sleeve completed by the end of today. Though, in truth, I dread knitting on the Double Pointed Needles. It isn't that I'm incapable of using them effectively. I've just spoiled myself rotten using small diameter circular needles and/or the Magic Loop method of knitting.


However, sentimentality tugs at my heartstrings in this instance. A good friend of mine sent me the gift of a knitting needle set. I would like to close my sweater off using needles from this set in a gesture of friendship and appreciation.


I will use them eventually. Not right now though.



Flax Sweater Mir Ist Kalt - 7 June 2018 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )


This blog entry has been viewed 246 times

---

Basil Forever and Other Tidbits...

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 6:38 am

---

It is said that Basil is the King of Herbs. It certainly rules around here lately. I have three varieties growing in my Aerogarden. Cinnamon Basil, Lettuce Leaf Basil, and Large Leaf Italian Basil.



In addition to this, I have some Spearmint growing in the Aerogarden as well.



17 May 2018 - 3 Basils and 1 Spearmint ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )


I could have filled this void with yet more basil but I figured I'd try something different in the Aerogarden even if only to break up the monopoly the basils had. The Spearmint grows incredibly fast and easily holds its own against the three Basils. Though I do have to keep the Lettuce Leaf Basil trimmed to keep it from blocking the light.



For anyone curious about the sweater I posted about previously, I am currently working on the sleeves of my blue Flax sweater, Mir Ist Kalt. In this stifling heat, it is not the most fun of tasks but it is worth it to see the stitches getting done round by round as my garment edges closer and closer to completion.






16 May 2018 Blue Flax Sweater One Sleeve Incomplete ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )



I think that's about it. Good night, all. :)


This blog entry has been viewed 271 times

---

Progression on Two Fronts

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2018 2:45 am

---

I have made some progress with the Mir Ist Kalt sweater. I am a mere inch and a half from closing the body of the sweater out. From there, I'll start the sleeves.



Mir Ist Kalt Sweater 02-09-18 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )


On the plant front, I am ripening a whole container of Mega Cherry Tomatoes. This is my first full harvest of the year and it looks to be a good one. At first, I thought the tomatoes weren't going to turn but they once again astounded me with their amazing abilities. From full-on green, they began to take on the familiar rosy color of a blushing ripening tomato fruit. Now one is all but completely red while the others are fast approaching the same color.



Mega Cherry Tomatoes 02-17-18 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )



Just a quick post. I hope everyone is doing well and having a happy time.

This blog entry has been viewed 326 times

---

Freak Leaf, Pineapple Plant Gifting and Sweater

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2017 5:42 pm

---

I've finally cut that freakishly long/tall leaf from my Snake Plant. Now that it is separated from the parent plant, I'm going to cut it up, dip it in rooting hormone, pot it all, and hope for the best.



I am also giving one of the Pineapple plant babies away. The larger they get, the more I realize that I can only sustain one. So, one is going to one of the secretaries at one of the doctor's offices I go to regularly. I get the feeling that she'll not take care of it the way I have and I'm bracing myself for being a witness to this. So, we'll see.



In the non-plant news, I am making a sweater. It is a pattern called the Flax Sweater by a knitting duo called Tin Can Knits. The working name I'm giving my variation is "Mir Ist Kalt" due to my wanting to practice German as well as it being super cold in this house due to having to deal with the dueling banjos of the air conditioner during the Summer months when I first conceived of making this sweater. Two people were vying to make it as cold as humanly possible in this house without consulting with the third person, that person being me.



Flax Sweater - Mir Ist Kalt - 16 October 2017 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )


It is a top-down Raglan, made with TARDIS blue yarn. The yarn I'm using is Knit Picks - Wool of the Andes Worsted in the colorway Winter Night. Thus far, I have knit enough to where I am in the round and knitting the body of the sweater. I have yet to try anything on yet.


About the only other thing happening during this Halloween-mas is a sudden fruit bonanza on my Sweet Pickle Organic Pepper plant. Meh.


I hope you're all having a fantastic year thus far. Enjoy yourselves. :)







This blog entry has been viewed 277 times

---

In Love With Twiddling My Thumbs...

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Fri May 19, 2017 3:52 pm

---

So, I am in perpetual wait mode for the community garden plot. While I am sitting here, I figured I might as well get some crocheting and other things done in the meantime.


I planted the 'Lettuce Leaf' variety of Basil. That's just starting to come up. All the other plants, the Pineapples, Peppers, Tomatoes, etc are self-sustaining with very little input from me.


Months ago, I also started an Avocado pit. That's now growing beautifully in a pot, on my windowsill.


The Snake plant now rivals me in height. The Spider plant is growing out of the pot.


So, twiddling my thumbs about what to do, I decided to crochet something I haven't worked on since December 2016.


This is the In Love With Color Throw designed by Jessie Rayot.




In Love With Color Throw - May 2017 ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )


It took me ages to finish piecing this together and putting the border on. Now, everyone is laying claim to it/offering to buy it off of me.


No.


Mine.


LOL.



This blog entry has been viewed 381 times

---

Pretty Cool Stuff

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 1:01 am

---

A random person commented on my one of my Aerogarden videos today.

Given that he's (?) Garden minded, I naturally recommended Garden Stew to him. Seems like a nice person.

This blog entry has been viewed 304 times

---

The Omnipresent Torrid Nature of Summer

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 9:15 pm

---

Pineapples are surprisingly resilient. Through migrations of insects escaping the oppressive heat outside my window, the inescapable domination of our Dear Star, and despite my feeble attempts at salvaging their fragile lives with the air conditioner and extra water, the Pineapples are seemingly fine while most of the rest of my plants have gone by the wayside.


A list of the destruction:

The Sweet Pickle Organic Peppers are gone.

Lemongrass is dead.

Both of the potted basils (Lettuce leaf and Mrs. Burns Lemon) are dead.

The Pelargonium looks to be following suit soon.

The Navel orange tree. Dead.


At this point, all I have left are the Snake Plant, the Pineapples, the Aloe Vera, and the Spider plant in the windows. I also have the Mega Cherry Tomato plants in the Aerogarden.


So, planning this out for the future, I'm going to utilize the Aerogarden much more for my fruit production. Once I've tired of growing Mega Cherry Tomatoes, I'm going to use the Grow Anything Kit I've bought from Aerogarden to grow more Sweet Pickle Organic Peppers in the Aerogarden itself rather than in soil and near it.



As to the tomatoes, they're growing flowers already. It's only been thirty-nine days. They started showing flowers at twenty-eight days but I cut them off along with the main stem, as the other seed pod hadn't grown and I needed to keep the larger plant short in order to keep from raising the light hood.



Aug 13 2016 Mega Cherry Tomato Plant One ( photo / image / picture from xantedeschia's Garden )


I'll just be glad when this Summer heat gives way to the cooler blissful temperatures of Autumn and Winter. That's my favorite time of the year.



Thank you for reading. Have a fantastic day.




This blog entry has been viewed 356 times

---

Two Years

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2016 10:26 am

---

Time really does fly when you're having fun. It's been two years since I first signed up on this site.


In that time, I've really grown as a gardener. I've acquired two Aerogardens and successfully grown three gardens from them. I've maintained seven container plants from my original windowsill garden. This is despite invasions of ants and fungus gnats.


I've even expanded my territory, so to speak. I am selling my old Aerogarden to a friend and I've given The Maternal Parental four aloe vera for her windowsill which I maintain. On top of this, I've put two Snakeplants and the remains of the tomato in the downstairs window.


My plants for the coming growing season are:


Obtain an Ornithogalum (False Sea Onion)
Crassula Ovuta (Jade Plant)
Two Epipremnum (Devil's Ivy/Golden Pothos)
Setcreasea (Purple Heart Plant)
Two Plectranthus (Swedish Ivy Plant)
Maranta (Red Prayer Plant)
Stapelia Grandiflora (Carrion Cactus)
Codiaeum Variegatum (Croton)


In addition to this, I just bought $25USD worth of seeds in anticipation of getting My Not So Secret Garden started.


Included in this list are:

Chocolate Cherry Tomato
Big Rainbow Tomato
Spacemaster 80 Cucumber
Red Giant Mustard
Lacinato Kale
Clemson Spineless Okra
Roma Tomato
Sweet Pickle Organic Pepper
Hale's Best Organic Melon (Cantelope)
Lettuce Leaf Basil
Mrs. Burns Lemon Basil
Fresno Pepper
Giganteus Sunflower
Prarie Sunflower
Summer Savory
Caballero Hybrid Peppers
Bright Lights Swiss Chard
Park's Beauty Blend Radish Seeds


I have very high hopes that I'll get the Roma Tomatoes, Lettuce Leaf Basil, Lemon Basil, Sweet Pickle Organic Pepper and Park's Beauty Blend Radish to grow in containers.


I am also hopeful for the Bright Lights Swiss Chard to grow in a container but less so. In the past, I've had very little luck growing it without greenhouse conditions. I'm unsure as to why. Perhaps trial and error will give me some insight into why that is.


With regard to the new Aerogarden, five seedlings are sprouting already. The Genovese Basil, Thai Basil, Mint and Dill are all coming up strong. I've got the domes off of the Genovese Basil and Dill due to the fact that they've gotten so big.


The rest usually take some time in growing.


Meanwhile, I've been snacking on the last of the semi-ripe tomatoes from the previous garden. I have them in a 32oz soup container on the top of my desk Hutch and, despite my initial misgivings about doing this, they're turning colors. Even the small ones.


Hopefully, my Windowsill Roma tomatoes will grow as strong as these have. Otherwise, I'll have to wait until I get my hands on the Outdoor Plot.






Last edited: Wed Mar 09, 2016 10:27 am

This blog entry has been viewed 466 times

---

Goto page 1, 2, next

Home / Blogs / Polycotyledon / Miscellaneous /